Process of concentrating ores.



A. SGHWARZ.

PATENTED DEC. 19, 1905.

PROCESS OF OONOENTRATING ORES;

APPLICATION FILED MAY 27, 1904.

WITNESSES:

ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT orrron.

ALFRED SOIIWVARZ, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE SOHWARZ ORETREATING COMPANY, OF PHCENIX, ARIZONA TERRITORY, A COR- PORATION OFARIZONA TERRITORY.

PROCESS OF CONCENTRATING ORES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 19, 1905.

Application filed May 27, 1904. Serial No. 210,138.

To a whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALFRED SoHwARZ, a subject of the German Emperor, anda resident of the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes ofConcentrating Ores, of which the following is a specification. I

My invention has for its object the concentration of ores by theselective action of a hydrocarbon compound.

Heretofore the separation of the values in ores hasbeen effected bymixing the pulveriZed ore with a product resulting from thedistillationof petroleum, the ore having been previously mixed with sufficient waterto form a freely-flowingpulp. The oil in such method exercises theproperty of attaching itself to and buoying up the metallic constituentsof the ore that are suspended in the pulp; but it has little or noeffect upon the earthy constituents. I have found that the efiiciency ofthe selective action of oils generally, either mineral, vegetable, oranimal, is increased by the addition thereto of a fatty matter which issolid at normal temperatures, as paraffin, stearin, or palmitin.

In carrying out my invention I proceed as follows: The ore is firstcrushed and screened to a convenient size for working and is thenthoroughly and intimately mixed with the selective material, which inthis instance is a compound of a mineral, vegetable, or animal oil and afatty matter of the character above specified, such mixture being solidat normal temperatures. Such material may be readily prepared bydissolving the fatty matter in the oil medium, heat being employed tomelt the fatty matter, if necessary, and to maintain the compound in aliquid condition during its incorporation with the pulverized ore. As aspecific example of a selective material I prefer crude petroleum or anyof its products, to which is added about nine to ten per cent., byweight, of parafiin, such proportion having been found to give goodresults with a copper-sulfid ore.

Any suitable apparatus may be employed to effect the mixture of the oreand selective material, all that is essential being a vessel providedwith agitating-blades. In such vessel the ore is mixed with suflicientof the selective material to make a thick pasty mass,

pressure, is injected into the mass by suitablyarranged pipes andagitation continued until the water is distributed throughout the mass.The mass is then allowed to subside, when the selective material, withthe entrapped metallic constituent-s of the ore, will rise to the topand may be removed in any suitable manner, as by floating over the topof the vessel. The values may be separated from the selective materialin any suitable or well-known manner--as, for example, by a centrifugaldrum or filter-press. The tailings, being unaffected by the selectivematerial, will remain in the water and settle to the bottom of thevessel, from which they may be drawn off and, if necessary, subjected tofurther treatment for the recovery of any values they may contain.

In the concentration of ores by the selective action of the compoundabove described the action is facilitated and better results secured bythe injection of a gaseous fluidsuch as air, steam, or gas ascarbon-dioxid gas into the mass. This may be done by suitably-arrangedpipes leading into the bottom or sides of the vessel, the effect of suchuse of air, steam, or gas being to break up and subdividethe mass in acomplete and thorough manner. Furthermore, it results in the selectivematerial taking up an appreciable quantity of air or gas, giving acertain amount of sponginess, which increases its floating power. Afterthe admission of water, which may be done by suitably-arranged pipes,the admission of air, steam, or gas may be continued to assist indistributing the water throughout the mass and to eflect a thoroughseparation and washing out of the tailings.

In referring to paraffin as a fatty matter it is to be understood that Ido so in a popular and not a chemical sense. It is also to be understoodthat the proportions of the ingredients of the selective material may beVaried to suit the particular ore treated.

' as it rises with the entrapped metallic con- The accompanying drawingshows in perspective one arrangement of apparatus by which the processmay be carried out.

1 designates a bin or hopper from which the pulverized ore is dischargedinto a vessel 2, which is preferably steam-jacketed and provided with anagitator 3. In this vessel the ore and selective agent are intimatelymixed, and from said vesselthe mass is discharged into a vessel 4,provided with an agitator in which it is treated with water slightlyacidulated, if desired, to effect the separation of the selective agent,with the entrapped metallic constituents, from the tailings. If coldwater is employed, the selective agent will be solidified and rising tothe top is conducted by a trough 5 to a remeltingand storage vessel 6.If heated or boiling water is employed in the vessel 4, the selectiveagent will be maintained in its liquid condition and stitutents is runby the trough 5 into the storage'vessel 6 and from the latter toacentrifugal-drum 7 for the separation of the values from said agent.The recovered agent is collected in a storage vessel 8. from which itmaybe raised to the mixing vessel 2 by a pump 9. The separating vessel 4 isprovided with suitable pipes 10 for the admission of air, steam, or gasand with a pipe 11 by which the tailings may be discharged into a vessel12. After removal of the values from the separator 7 they may besubjected to any suitable treatment. 1

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The process of concentrating ores consisting in mixing with thepulverized ore a selective agent consisting of a mixture of a liquidhydrocarbon and a normally solid fatty matter which mixture is solid atnormal temperatures, separating said agent with itsentrapped values fromthe tailings, and finally recovering the values from the selectiveagent.

2. The process of concentrating ores consisting in mixing with thepulverized ore a selective agent consisting of a mixture of a liquidhydrocarbon and a normally solid fatty l matter which mixture is solidat normal temperatures, treating the mass with water to separate saidagent with its entrapped values from the tailings, and finallyrecovering the values from the selective agent.

3. The process of concentrating ores .consisting in mixing with thepulverized ore a selective agent consisting of a mixture of a liquidhydrocarbon and a normally solid fatty matter which mixture is solid atnormal temperatures, treating the mass with cold water to separate saidagent with its entrapped values from the tailings, and finallyrecovering the values from the selective agent.

4. The method of concentrating ores consisting in mixing with thepulverized ore a selective agent consisting of a mixture of a liquidhydrocarbon and a normally solid fatty matter which mixture is solid atnormal temperatures and subjecting the mass to the action of a gaseousfluid, separating the selective agent with its entrapped values from thetailings, and finally recovering the values from the selective agent.

5. The process of concentrating ores consisting in mixing with thepulverized ore a selective agent consisting of a mixture of a liquidhydrocarbon and parafiin which mixture is solid at normal temperatures,separating said agent with its entrapped values from the tailings, andfinally recovering the values from the selective agent.

6. The process of concentrating ores consisting in mixing with thepulverized ore a selective agent consisting of a mixture of a liquidhydrocarbon and parafiin which mixture is solid at normal temperatures,treating the mass with water to separate said agent with its entrappedvalues from the tailings, and finally recovering the values from theselective agent.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses. ALFRED SOHWARZ.

Witnesses:

E. F. PORTER,

CHARLES S. Joints.

